Copying apparatus for copying a recoding medium, a method thereof and a computer program thereof

ABSTRACT

A Copying Apparatus for copying a recoding medium, a method thereof and a computer program thereof is provided, wherein the recording medium is copy-protected by a predetermined method.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a copying apparatus for copying arecording medium, a method and a computer program thereof, and moreparticularly to a copying apparatus for copying a recording medium, amethod and a computer program thereof where address information of arecording area is manipulated.

The present invention relates to a copying apparatus for successfullycopying an optical recording medium, which is or will be in existence,such as an audio compact disc, a combination of compact discs, a compactdisc including other optical recording medium, a compact disc includedin other optical recording medium and a CD-R (CD-Recordable) or CD-RW(CD-Rewritable).

Moreover, the present invention is also applied to a recording medium onwhich digital information such as high quality video signals arerecorded, e.g. a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video disc),DVD-R (DVD-Recordable), DVD-RW (DVD-Rewritable), DVD-RAM (DVD-RandomAccess Memory) or the like.

BACKGROUND ART

Generally, for example, in order to retrieve the information recorded ona recording medium by controlling the medium to a reproducing apparatus,it is necessary to obtain the address information indicating where theinformation is recorded. The recording type of the information needed torecord the address information, the content information and/or the likeon the recording medium and the information structure of the recordingmedium are widely known in the art of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the structure of information recorded on ageneral DVD. As shown in FIG. 1, the information recorded on the DVDconstitutes a ‘(information) sector’ with a predetermined amount of theinformation per unit. 17 information sectors are formed in total asshown in FIG. 1. Each of the information sectors includes the contentinformation of 172 bytes and horizontally error correcting parity dataof 10 bytes. And, the 17-th sector includes vertically error correctingparity data of 10 bytes. FIG. 1 shows merely an example of theinformation structure of a general DVD, so it does not limit the scopeof the present invention.

In the recording medium with the information structure as above, theaddress data represents which position on the recording medium certaininformation is stored at, and thus a part of the address data may serveas the information indicating the position of the sector. Thereproducing apparatus generates required control signals by using thisaddress data and performs reproducing operations. For example, when thereproducing apparatus moves over the recording medium or reproduces themedium from a certain position, it can control an operation of searchingthe information recorded on the medium by referring to the address data.

Recently, however, it is possible to read the information recorded on anoptical recording medium easily by using a general personal computer.Consequently, illegal copying which is very easy and diverse has becomecommon and widely accepted. Thus, the protection for the copyright ofcontents recorded on a medium has become an urgent issue.

Accordingly, the applicant of the present invention has disclosed acopy-protected optical recording medium capable of being reproduced by ageneral reproducing apparatus, comprising at least one overlapping zonewhose address values allocated to information recorded on the recordingmedium overlap address values of another area in the recording mediumand driving information for controlling the reproducing apparatus toread information on the overlapping zone in “a copy-protected opticalrecording medium capable of being reproduced by a general reproducingapparatus and a method for manufacturing thereof”, InternationalApplication No. PCT/KR02/00490 filed on 22 Mar. 2002.

The copy-protected optical recording medium, International ApplicationNo. PCT/KR02/00490, will be described in detail referring to FIGS. 2 aand 2 b.

FIG. 2 a shows a series of pieces of information, hypotheticallyarranged in a row, recorded on from an innermost track to an outermosttrack of a general optical recording medium and address values allocatedto the series of pieces of the information. And, FIG. 2 b shows a seriesof pieces of information, hypothetically arranged in a row, recorded onfrom the innermost track to the outermost track of the copy-protectedoptical recording medium according to the International Application No.PCT/KR02/00490 and address values allocated to the series of pieces ofthe information.

As shown in FIG. 2 a, the address values of the information on thegeneral optical recording medium are allocated in order to linearlyincrease from the inner tracks to the outer tracks of the mediumsequentially. A linearly increased graph is shown at the bottom of theseries of pieces of the information. The address values may alsolinearly decrease from the inner tracks to the outer tracks.

Moreover, in another optical recording medium already known, theinformation may be chaotically placed on the medium by scrambling theaddress data. In this way, the reproduction ratio can be increased bycorrecting errors, even if any physical damage occurs at a certain areaon the medium. Even In this case, however, supposing a state whereretrieved information is arranged in a row as shown in FIG. 2 a, we canunderstand that the address values linearly increase (or decrease)conceptually.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 2 b, the copy-protected optical recordingmedium according to the International Application No. PCT/KR02/00490includes at least one overlapping zone whose address values allocated tothe information on the medium overlap each other. The address values maybe either physical or logical addresses. In FIG. 3 a, it is shown thatthe address values in the overlapping zone and those in a previous zone(referred to as “zone B) overlap each other.

Moreover, the copy-protected optical recording medium according to theInternational Application No. PCT/KR02/00490 further includes drivinginformation at a predetermined area for controlling the reproducingapparatus in order to read the information recorded on the overlappingzone. The data on the zone B has the same address values as those of thecorresponding data on the overlapping zone, so that the drivinginformation is for driving the reproducing apparatus to access theaddresses respectively.

In order to copy the information recorded on a recording mediumaccording to the International Application No. PCT/KR02/00490 in analready known method, it is necessary to use the address data allocatedto the above zones for recording information from the zone B and theoverlapping zone on a recording medium as a duplicate. Consequently,only one of the pieces of the information on the zone B and theoverlapping zone is recorded on a zone with a corresponding addressvalue of the copied medium.

Therefore, when reproducing the copied medium recorded in this way, itis impossible to retrieve one of the pieces of the information on thezone B and the overlapping zone of the original medium from the copiedmedium. Accordingly, some pieces of the information on the originalmedium remain not capable of being copied.

Therefore, in case of the duplicated medium, the data retrieved from aposition to which a certain address is allocated is the same regardlessof the reproduction progress direction. Since that result is differentfrom a case of the original medium where pieces of data on a position towhich the same address is allocated can be different from one anotherdepending on the progress direction, it is possible to discriminate thecopied medium from the original medium. Accordingly, by that point anoriginal medium can be protected against duplication or at least can beprevented from reproducing the duplicate of it.

In case of the copy-protected recording medium as above, however, themethod causes a problem that a lawful owner also cannot copy anyrecording medium even within a permitted scope under a law.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The applicant of the present invention acknowledges the necessity ofpermitting a lawful owner, lawful manufacturer, lawful user or the like(hereinafter referred to as a “lawful user” generally) of acopy-protected recording medium according to the InternationalApplication No. PCT/KR02/00490 to copy it within the permitted scopeunder a law. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a lawful user with a means for copying a recording mediumincluding an overlap zone where addresses are overlapped one another asdescribed above.

In order to achieve the objects above, a recording medium copyingapparatus for copying a recording medium which comprises an overlap zonewhere addresses overlap, includes a file reading unit for reading andmanaging a file in a forward and/or reverse direction, the file recordedon an original recording medium to be copied, a file comparing andidentifying unit for comparing the files read from the originalrecording medium and identifying whether the files are identical to eachother or not, an address processing unit for collecting addresses of thefiles with regard to the original recording medium and generating andassigning an address at which the file is recorded on a duplicaterecording medium and a file recording unit for recording the file on theduplicate recording medium at the address assigned by the addressprocessing unit in order that an address structure of the duplicaterecording medium can be the same as that of the original recordingmedium.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an example of the structure of information recorded on ageneral DVD.

FIG. 2 a shows a series of pieces of the information, hypotheticallyarranged in a row, recorded on from an innermost track to an outermosttrack of a general optical recording medium and address values allocatedto the series of pieces of the information.

FIG. 2 b shows a series of pieces of the information, hypotheticallyarranged in a row, recorded on from the innermost track to the outermosttrack of the copy-protected optical recording medium according to theprior art and address values allocated to the series of pieces of theinformation.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram schematically showing an exemplaryembodiment of a recording medium copying apparatus 100 according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an exemplary embodiment of the operationof a copying apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a file structure of an original recording medium and aresult of judging whether correspondingly forward and reverse directionfiles retrieved from the medium are identical to each other or not.

FIG. 6 shows a file structure of an original recording medium accordingto another exemplary embodiment and a result of judging whethercorrespondingly forward and reverse direction files retrieved from themedium are identical to each other or not.

FIG. 7 a shows a file structure of an original recording mediumaccording to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 b shows a result of judging whether correspondingly forward andreverse direction files retrieved from the medium are identical to eachother or not.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now bedescribed in detail with reference to attached drawings.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram schematically showing an exemplaryembodiment of a recording medium copying apparatus 100 according to thepresent invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the copying apparatus 100according to is the present invention includes a file reading unit 110for forwardly and/or reversely reading and managing data of a filerecorded on a original recording medium desired to be copied, a filecomparing and identifying unit 112 for comparing files read from theoriginal recording medium and identifying files whether they areidentical to each other or not, an address processing unit 114 forcollecting addresses of the files with regard to the original recordingmedium and generating and assigning addresses for recoding the files ona duplicate recording medium and a file recording unit for recording thefiles at the addresses assigned by the address processing unit 114 onthe duplicate recording medium.

When an original recording medium of a structure as shown in FIG. 2 b isput inside, the file reading unit 110 reads data on the originalrecording medium in a direction (hereinafter referred to as a “forwarddirection”) which is from a position (hereinafter referred to as a “headof recording medium”) whose address has the smallest value to a position(hereinafter referred to as an “end of recording medium”) whose addresshas the largest value and retrieve files recorded on the recordingmedium. These files retrieved in the forward direction as above will bereferred to herein as “forward direction files”.

The files read by the file reading unit 110 in the forward direction arestored and managed in a memory (not shown) in a retrieved order togetherwith their addresses. To store and manage in a memory in a retrievedorder can be realized by a manner of, e.g. assigning the lowest numberto the identification number of a file first retrieved from the originalrecording medium while assigning the highest number to theidentification number of a last retrieved file. Therefore, to store inorder does not always mean to store files retrieved later at areas whosephysical or logical addresses of a memory are high.

In addition, the file reading unit 110 reads data on the originalrecording medium in a direction (hereinafter referred to as a “reversedirection”) opposite to the forward direction, i.e. from the end ofrecording medium to the head of recording medium and retrieves files onit. The files (hereinafter referred to as “reverse direction files”)retrieved in the reverse direction are stored in the memory in an orderopposite to the retrieved order together with their addresses. To storeand manage in a memory in a reverse order can be realized by a mannerof, e.g. assigning the lowest number to the identification number of afile last retrieved from the original recording medium while assigningthe highest number to the identification number of a first retrievedfile. Therefore, to store in order does not always mean to store filesretrieved later at areas whose physical or logical addresses of a memoryare low.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the forwardly or reversely readingoperation of files and the storing and managing operation of retrievedfiles may be performed by a forward direction file reading unit 1102 anda reverse direction file reading unit 1104 in parallel respectively.

The storage and management of retrieved files will be described indetail later referring to FIGS. 4 and 5.

Next, the file comparing and identifying unit 112 compares the forwardand reverse direction files that correspond to each other and judgeswhether the compared files are identical to each other or not. Inaddition, as the result of the judgment the file comparing andidentifying unit 112 discriminates files judged to be identical fromfiles judged not so.

Next, the address processing unit 114 collects and stores the addressesof the files read by the file reading unit 110 from the originalrecording medium. In addition, when the address processing unit 114records the files onto the duplicate recording medium, it assignsaddresses at which the files are recorded on the duplicate recordingmedium in order that the duplicate recording medium can have the sameaddress structure as that of the original recording medium. In thiscase, the address processing unit 114 assigns addresses of the duplicaterecording medium in order that the forward and reverse direction filesjudged by the file comparing and identifying unit 112 not to beidentical to each other can have the same address respectively, and thusit makes the address structures of the duplicate recording medium andthe original recording medium the same as shown in FIG. 2 b.

Next, the file recording unit 116 records the forward and reversedirection files on the duplicate recording medium at the addressesassigned by the address processing unit 114. In other words, the filerecording unit 116 records either the forward or reverse direction filejudged to be identical to each other on the duplicate recording medium.Meanwhile, the file recording unit 116 records the forward directionfile judged not to be identical on the duplicate recording medium inadvance and then successively records the corresponding reversedirection file judged not to be identical.

Recording of files is performed in order that the duplicate recodingmedium can surely have the same structure as that of the originalrecording medium. The physical positions of the duplicate and originalrecording medium where a certain file is recorded do not need to beidentical to each other. Although the addresses of the duplicate andoriginal recording medium assigned to a certain file are preferably thesame value, they are not be limited to this case and it should be notedthat it might be enough for overall address structures to be identicalto each other.

Next, the operation of the copying apparatus of the present inventionwill be described in detail referring to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is aflowchart showing an exemplary embodiment of the operation of thecopying apparatus according to the present invention. When theoperations begin with an instruction of a user upon inserting theoriginal recording medium (step S400), the original recording medium isread in the forward and/or reverse direction so that files can beretrieved (steps S402 and S408). The operations of reading files in theforward and/or reverse direction may also be performed sequentially orin parallel as described above.

Then, the files retrieved in the forward direction are stored in amemory (not shown) in a retrieved order. If the firstly retrievedforward direction file is represented by “F.file.1”, the secondlyretrieved forward direction file is represented by “F.file.2” and theN-thly retrieved forward direction file is represented by “F.file.N”,these are stored in the memory in order to be identified in theretrieved order. In this embodiment, to identify them in the retrievedorder, an example using a manner of assigning identification numbersconsecutively increasing is shown (step S4042). “1), 2) . . . n)” shownin the step S4042 means the retrieved order.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the addresses (i.e. A1, A2 . . . AN) onthe original recording medium are preferably stored together with thefiles.

On the other hand, the reverse direction files retrieved in the reversedirection are stored in a memory (not shown) in an order opposite to theretrieved order. If the firstly retrieved reverse direction file isrepresented by “R.file.1”, the secondly retrieved reverse direction fileis represented by “R.file.2” and the N-thly retrieved reverse directionfile is represented by “R.file.N”, these are stored in the memory inorder to be identified in the order opposite to the retrieved order. Toidentify them in the order opposite to the retrieved order, a manner ofassigning identification numbers consecutively decreasing as describedabove may be used. In this embodiment, to identify them in the orderopposite to the retrieved order, an example using a manner of assigningidentification numbers consecutively decreasing is shown (step S4042).“1), 2) . . . n)” shown in the step S4042 means the retrieved order.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the addresses (i.e. AN, A(N−1) . . .A1) on the original recording medium are preferably stored together withthe files.

Then, reading files from the original recording medium is completed uponreaching the head or end of the original recording medium (step S406 orS412), and the retrieved files are copied to the duplicate recordingmedium in order to maintain the same address structure as that of theoriginal recording medium.

To perform copying, whether the retrieved forward and reverse directionfiles are identical or not is judged comparing these files each other(step S414). Here, to help understanding, it is assumed that B12 filesare recorded on the original recording medium altogether and three ofthem are recorded on the overlap zone in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 shows a filestructure of the original recording medium and a result of judgingwhether the corresponding forward and reverse direction files retrievedfrom the medium are identical to each other or not.

According to the example shown in FIG. 5, 12 files are recorded on theoriginal recording medium in total, and when reading them in the forwarddirection nine forward direction files, i.e. F.file.1 to F.file.9 areretrieved, while in the reverse direction nine reverse direction files,i.e. R.file.1 to R.file.9 are retrieved. Amongst them, it was assumedthat three files, i.e. R.file.5 to R.file.7 are recorded in the overlapzone where the addresses overlap, and three files, i.e. F.file.5 toF.file.7 are also recoded in the zone B.

As shown in FIG. 5, if the forward and reverse direction files whoseidentification numbers or whose addresses on the original recordingmedium are identical to each other are compared (step S414), it isverified that there are six pairs of forward and reverse direction filesthat are identical to each other, i.e. four pairs that are F.file.1 toF.file.4 and R.file.1 to R.file.4 and two pairs that are F.file.8 andF.file.9 and R.file.8 and R.file.9. In addition, it is verified thatF.file.5 to F.file.7 amongst the forward direction files and R.file.5 toR.file.7 amongst the reverse direction files don't have any identicalcounterparts (step S416).

Accordingly, after completing identification of files the identifiedfiles are recorded on the duplicate recording medium in order to havethe same address structure as that of the original recording medium(step S418). In other words, the forward direction files are firstrecorded (step S418). At this time, the address structure of theduplicate recording medium is also formed to copy the address structureof the original recording medium.

Then, the reverse direction files not having any identical counterparts(R.file.5 to R.file.7 in this embodiment) are recorded on the duplicaterecording medium. At this time, it is particularly noted that theaddress structure of the reverse direction files not having anyidentical counterparts should be formed to be the same as that of theoriginal recording medium (step S420).

FIG. 6 shows a file structure of the original recording medium accordingto another exemplary embodiment and a result of judging whether thecorresponding forward and reverse direction files retrieved from themedium are identical to each other or not. As shown in FIG. 6, B1 filesare recorded on the original recording medium in total, and when readingthem in the forward direction nine forward direction files, i.e.F.file.1 to F.file.9 are retrieved, while in the reverse direction eightreverse direction files, i.e. R.file.1 to R.file.8 are retrieved.Amongst them, it is assumed that two files, i.e. R.file.5 and R.file.6are recorded in the overlap zone where the addresses overlap, and threefiles, i.e. F.file.5 to F.file.7 are also recoded in the zone B.

Although it was assumed that the number of the forward direction filesand the number of the reverse direction files are not the same in thisembodiment, whether the identical counterparts exist or not can also beverified by referring the addresses of files retrieved and comparing theaddresses each other. Accordingly, all the description in relation toFIG. 5 can be applied to this embodiment similarly.

FIG. 7 a shows a file structure of the original recording mediumaccording to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 bshows a result of judging whether the corresponding forward and reversedirection files retrieved is from the medium are identical to each otheror not.

As shown in FIG. 7 a, 22 files are recorded on the original recordingmedium in total, and when reading them in the forward direction 18forward direction files, i.e. F.file.1 to F.file.18 are retrieved, whilein the reverse direction 16 reverse direction files, i.e. R.file.1 toR.file.16 are retrieved. As shown in FIG. 7 a, two overlap zones areformed in this present embodiment and four files, i.e. R.file.5,R.file.6, R.file.13 and R.file.14 are recorded in the overlap zonesrespectively. In addition, two of the zones B corresponding to theseoverlap zones are also formed, and it is assumed that 6 files, i.e.F.file.5 to F.file.7 and F.file.14 to F.file.16 are recorded there.

Although it was also assumed that the number of the forward directionfiles and the number of the reverse direction files are not the same inthis embodiment, whether the identical counterparts exist or not canalso be verified by referring the addresses of files retrieved andcomparing the addresses each other. Accordingly, all the description inrelation to FIG. 5 can be applied to this embodiment similarly.

Further, although the information recorded on the original recordingmedium is retrieved, managed and processed in the unit of files, anyproper units (e.g. blocks), though they are in the form of files, mayalso be retrieved, managed and processed depending upon embodiments.Accordingly, as used herein the term a “file” should be interpreted andunderstood that it means a “unit per which a process is performed” inthe description above and even in claims below.

The copying method according to the present invention can be realized acomputer program for copying a recording medium including modulesprogrammed for performing the functions of the units 110 to 116 includedin the copying apparatus 100 of the present invention as describedabove, i.e. a file reading module (not shown), a file comparing andidentifying module (not shown), an address processing module (not shown)and a file recording module (not shown). This computer program forcopying a recording medium according to the present invention realizestechnical ideas of the present invention by interacting with thehardware and/or software of a computer system for executing the program.Programming the above modules included the computer program for copyinga recording medium of the present invention will not be described indetail because it is already widely known in the art of the presentinvention as well as being an optional matter in design for carrying outthe present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to present invention, it is possible to provide a lawful userwith a copying apparatus, a method and a computer program thereofcapable of copying a recording medium including an overlap zone whereaddresses overlap.

1. A recording medium copying apparatus for copying a recording mediumwhich comprises an overlap zone where addresses overlap, comprising: afile reading unit for reading and managing a file in a forward and/orreverse direction, said file recorded on an original recording medium tobe copied; a file comparing and identifying unit for comparing saidfiles read from said original recording medium and identifying whethersaid files are identical to each other or not; an address processingunit for collecting addresses of said files with regard to said originalrecording medium and generating and assigning an address at which saidfile is recorded on a duplicate recording medium; and a file recordingunit for recording said file on said duplicate recording medium at saidaddress assigned by said address processing unit in order that anaddress structure of said duplicate recording medium can be the same asthat of said original recording medium.
 2. A recording medium copyingapparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said file reading unit readssaid original recording medium in a forward direction which is from ahead of said original recording medium at which an address is smallestto an end of said original recording medium at which an address islargest and retrieves said file recorded on said original recordingmedium, and uniquely identifies said file read in said forward directionaccording to an address thereof and/or an retrieved order and stores andmanages said file in a memory.
 3. A recording medium copying apparatusas claimed in claim 2, wherein said file reading unit reads saidoriginal recording medium in a reverse direction which is from said endto said head of said original recording medium and retrieves said filerecorded on said original recording medium, and uniquely identifies saidfile read in said reverse direction according to an address thereofand/or an order opposite to said retrieved order and stores and managessaid file in a memory.
 4. A recording medium copying apparatus asclaimed in claim 3, wherein said file reading unit comprises: a forwarddirection file reading unit for reading said original recording mediumin said forward direction, retrieving said file recorded on saidoriginal recording medium, uniquely identifying said file read in saidforward direction according to said address thereof and/or saidretrieved order and storing and managing said file in said memory; and areverse direction file reading unit for reading said original recordingmedium in said reverse direction, retrieving said file recorded on saidoriginal recording medium, uniquely identifying said file read in saidreverse direction according to said address thereof and/or said orderopposite to said retrieved order and storing and managing said file insaid memory.
 5. A recording medium copying apparatus as claimed in claim1, wherein said file reading unit reads said original recording mediumin said forward and reverse directions in parallel.
 6. A recordingmedium copying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said addressprocessing unit assigns said address at which said file read from saidoriginal recording medium is recorded on said duplicate recording mediumin order that said address structure of said duplicate recording mediumis the same as that of said original recording medium.
 7. A recordingmedium copying apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said addressprocessing unit assigns said address with regard to said duplicaterecording medium in order that a forward direction file and a reversedirection file which are judged not to be identical to each other bysaid file comparing and identifying unit have the same address, saidforward and reverse direction files corresponding to each other.
 8. Arecording medium copying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidfile recording unit records either said forward or reverse directionfile judged to be identical to each other on said duplicate recordingmedium, while recording said forward direction file judged not to beidentical on said duplicate recording medium in advance and thenrecording said reverse direction file judged not to be identical at ancorresponding address of said duplicate recording medium.
 9. A recordingmedium copying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a set of datadivided in a predetermined unit per which a process is performed istaken as said file.
 10. A recording medium copying method for copying arecording medium which comprises an overlap zone where addressesoverlap, comprising the steps of: reading an original recording mediumin a forward or reverse direction and retrieving a file; allowing saidfile read in said forward direction to be identified in a retrievedorder; allowing said file read in said reverse direction to beidentified in an order opposite to said retrieved order; and recordingsaid file read in said forward or reverse direction on a duplicaterecording medium in order that an address structure of said duplicaterecording medium can be the same as that of said original recordingmedium.
 11. A recording medium copying method as claimed in claim 10further comprising a step of storing an address of said file with regardto said original recording medium to correspond to said file read fromsaid original recording medium.
 12. A recording medium copying method asclaimed in claim 10, wherein said file read in said forward direction isassigned with an identification number sequentially increasing accordingto an order in which said file is retrieved.
 13. A recording mediumcopying method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said file read in saidreverse direction is assigned with an identification number sequentiallydecreasing according to an order in which said file is retrieved.
 14. Arecording medium copying method as claimed in claim 10, wherein saidoriginal recording medium is read in said forward and reverse directionsin parallel in said step of reading.
 15. A recording medium copyingmethod as claimed in claim 10, wherein a set of data divided in apredetermined unit per which a process is performed is taken as saidfile.
 16. A computer program for copying a recording medium whichcomprises an overlap zone where addresses overlap, comprising: a filereading module for reading and managing a file in a forward and/orreverse direction, said file recorded on an original recording medium tobe copied; a file comparing and identifying module for comparing saidfiles read from said original recording medium and identifying whethersaid files are identical to each other or not; an address processingmodule for collecting addresses of said files with regard to saidoriginal recording medium and generating and assigning an address atwhich said file is recorded on a duplicate recording medium; and a filerecording module for recording said file on said duplicate recordingmedium at said address assigned by said address processing module inorder that an address structure of said duplicate recording medium canbe the same as that of said original recording medium.
 17. A computerprogram as claimed in claim 16, wherein said address processing modulestores an address of said file with regard to said original recordingmedium to correspond to said file read from said original recordingmedium.
 18. A computer program as claimed in claim 16, wherein said fileread in said forward direction is assigned with an identification numbersequentially increasing according to an order in which said file isretrieved.
 19. A computer program as claimed in claim 16, wherein saidfile read in said reverse direction is assigned with an identificationnumber sequentially decreasing according to an order in which said fileis retrieved.
 20. A computer program as claimed in claim 16, whereinsaid original recording medium is read in said forward and reversedirections in parallel.
 21. A computer program as claimed in claim 16,wherein a set of data divided in a predetermined unit per which aprocess is performed is taken as said file.